Current techniques for three-dimensional (3D) printing include photopolymerization, granular-materials binding, and fused deposition modeling. In the case of fused deposition modeling, layers of material, such as sugar, plastic, or metal, are extruded, often in the form of strings, also called “filaments.” Through extruding layer after layer of these filaments a 3D object is created. These 3D objects can include highly complex designs. In fact, almost anything that a computer can model, a fused-deposition printer can create, from candy art, to a plastic chair, to a metal sculpture.
Current fused-deposition printing techniques that print with multiple print heads, however, often produce undesirable artifacts. These undesirable artifacts are caused, in many cases, by leftover material that builds up on a tip of a print head that is not actively being used to print. Even though this print head is not printing, current techniques move an active print head and an inactive print head together. This leftover material on the inactive print head is accidentally deposited on the 3D object being printed, which results in these artifacts.
Some conventional techniques attempt to address this issue using a pre-built mechanical structure. This mechanical structure is used to clean print heads and prepare deactivated print heads for activation. This mechanical structure, however, reduces interior space in which objects can be printed, adds complication and cost to printers, slows printing, or cannot practically address artifacts in a 3D printer that is already in use.
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent the work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.